"Is it Christmas already?" This was the question that many of the 200 guests attending the festive reception in Atlanta on December 4 for the official inauguration of NürnbergMesse North America, Inc. must have been asking themselves as two magicians brought forth the Nürnberger Christkind (Nuremberg Christ child) on the stage. Yet, as magical as the evening was, there are solid economic reasons behind the decision of the NürnbergMesse Group to establish its second foreign exhibition subsidiary (after China) in the North American market.

The United States is regarded worldwide as the largest market for conventions, a combination of exhibition and congress. "Our highly specialized trade shows, with conventions as an integral component of the concept, are very close to this model. For this reason, we see outstanding prospects for growth, " said Bernd A. Diederichs, Managing Director of NürnbergMesse Group. The first exhibition that NürnbergMesse North America organized jointly with the North American Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA) and the German trade publisher Vincentz Network in Charlotte, North Carolina, last spring corroborates this judgment. The American Coatings Show, a counterpart to the world's leading European Coatings Show in Nuremberg, was sold out right away - with 331 exhibitors, 5, 600 visitors, and 750 congress participants.

"Moreover, it was the largest trade show put on by a German organizer for the American market and it will continue to grow, " was the confident assessment by Dirk Ebener, Managing Director of NürnbergMesse North America.

Born in Germany, the 43-year-old, Ebener has had his green card, which allows him to work in the U.S., since 1995. He started working for Messe Frankfurt Inc. in Atlanta in 1995 and last served there as the division head for international trade shows. "I have heard a lot of good things about NürnbergMesse and I'm proud to be part of this dynamic team, " says Ebener. His medium-term goal is to build a portfolio of three to five trade shows in the next five years. Currently, NürnbergMesse's portfolio in North America includes the American Coatings Show and BioFach America, with additional topics being closely examined. In addition, the subsidiary will handle sales activities for specific NürnbergMesse events, organize group participation at trade shows in Nuremberg, and help increase Nuremberg's visibility in North America as an exhibition and conference location. "The fact that Atlanta is Nuremberg's sister city in the U.S. greatly simplifies this task, " explains Ebener.